Han Shizu

Chapter 1068 Small people can still discuss state affairs

In the city of Kaifeng, commerce is prosperous and trade is developed. As for various buildings and shops, there are thousands of them, which are densely distributed in the streets and markets, jointly creating a commercial atmosphere in Kaifeng.He didn't go out of his way to look for high-rises and expensive land. First, it was unnecessary, and second, he couldn't afford it. The Han family was already struggling in Jinling, not to mention that it was not easy to support such a large family in Kaifeng. This was what Han Xizai thought. One of the practical reasons to implement the destination as soon as possible.

In fact, if it drags on for a while, Han Xizai will probably have to lose his old face. No matter what the position is, he should do it first. As for ambition and reserve, they are all secondary when facing the pressure of survival.

On the cover that fluttered slightly, there were four large characters of "Taihe Teahouse" written neatly, but it was difficult for Han Xizai to notice.It is said to be a teahouse, but more like a library. In recent years, the "storytelling" industry in Kaifeng has flourished, and many such restaurants have popped up in the downtown area, using stories as a medium to attract customers.

This is still the spread and development from the government to the people. At first, it was the imperial consolation department. From the military to the people, in order to maintain the rule, guide the hearts of the people, carry forward the idea of ​​loyalty to the emperor and patriotism, tell various heroic deeds, and praise the loyalty of the past dynasties.
But if you listen to it too much, you will feel bored, and then add more content, such as the propaganda and explanation of the imperial court's great politics, and the report of the frontline war.The people will never lack smart people. This form of storytelling has been widely recognized. When the content is gradually enriched and gradually transformed into interesting stories such as strange stories and strange tales, it will be more attractive to the people. The "storyteller" has become a With the rise of trendy occupations and private libraries, listening to books has become another entertainment activity for the people of Tokyo.

There are two strong-looking guards standing in front of the gate, this is to avoid those who sneak in and eavesdrop, and at the same time collect entry fees.That's right, there is an entrance fee to go to this kind of restaurant. Han Xizai and the two paid ten Qianyou Tongbao, which is really not cheap.

You can feel the atmosphere inside from the outside, and you will feel even more enthusiastic when you enter the inside. There must be 60 to [-] people, not a lot.It doesn't count the voice of the storyteller, it doesn't count as noisy, what is warm is the atmosphere.It is filled with the smell of tea, alcohol, and more naturally, human voices.The waiters in the restaurant were very discerning. Although Han Xizai was old, he was neatly dressed, had an extraordinary bearing, and greeted him attentively.

Followed all the way up to the second floor, and chose a position with a wide view, facing the podium, with the street outside the museum through the window.In addition, he had to order a plate of dried pears and jujube rings and a pot of peach blossom honey for extra money when he went upstairs. Han Xizai's attention was attracted by the situation downstairs.

In fact, Han Xizai was a little surprised by the entertainment form of "storytelling". At the same time, he was sensitive to the role of guiding public opinion. I'm afraid I dare not be on this occasion.

The storyteller on the stage doesn’t look very old. He looks like a scholar in his thirties. In fact, this line of work is not something that ordinary scholars can do. If you have the guts, you are afraid that you will be blown off the stage.

Han Xizai felt that it would be no problem for the storyteller in front of him to become a petty official in the government.Of course, this was just Han Xizai's subconscious thoughts. What he was more concerned about was the topic he was talking about at this time.

It is not telling a story, but talking about the most talked about things in Kaifeng recently.Ever since Emperor Liu issued an edict to let internal and external ministers and workers discuss the policy of governing the country together, the civil and military officials in Beijing naturally discussed enthusiastically and actively offered suggestions.But the influence is obviously not limited to this, not only the officials of the court are discussing, but also the common people.

At this time, the storyteller was talking about some rumored results of court discussions. Of course, it should be stated in advance that rumors and rumors are only for talking and should not be taken seriously.But even though he said that, it still aroused everyone's curiosity. The people present were mixed, from all walks of life, with various identities and classes.

"It is said that the imperial court intends to cancel the fixed grain price and restore it to a normal price, so that grain merchants from all over the world can actively transport grain to Beijing, so as to alleviate the annual shortage of grain in Tokyo!" .

As soon as this remark was said, it immediately caused a discussion. A person who was sensitive to this immediately pointed out: "If the imperial court does not control it, won't the price of food in Tokyo rise again?"

In recent years, as the population of Kaifeng has increased, the pressure on food has also increased. By the 15th year of Qianlong, according to the latest weights and measures, there were more than 100 million people inside and outside, and the annual direct food consumption was about 320 million shi. , but to meet food security, plus the salary and welfare issued by the imperial court, at least 5 million stones need to be imported, and more are needed to meet the national official treasury.

However, perhaps the price of 1 qian for rice in Tokyo in the early years is too deep in people's memory. Both Emperor Liu and the court have always paid great attention to it.After all, food is the most important thing for the people, and to satisfy millions of people, the food issue is definitely the primary issue. Therefore, for many years, the price of food has been strictly controlled, and the price of food is set every year according to the situation of food input and storage, and the specific food price , according to market conditions, the official price can fluctuate by 2-[-] yuan.

In the process of unification, food is also one of the strategic materials, which consumes a lot and also intensifies the food pressure in Kaifeng.However, due to policy issues, the enthusiasm of grain merchants has been severely hit. In many cases, the government is leading the way to purchase grain from outside Beijing and transfer it to Beijing.

Up to now, Wang Pu finally raised this question to Emperor Liu.If this goes on for a long time, the court's executive power can still last for a long time, but for the court, it is not the best way, and it will increase the burden on the contrary.

Instead of that, it is better to give full play to the enthusiasm of the merchants and make them feel profitable, so they will naturally take the initiative to transport grain to Beijing. Freedom, stored in the official treasury of the imperial court, can intervene in grain prices at any time.In this regard, Emperor Liu has agreed.

Of course, with such an official promulgation, the food price in Tokyo will inevitably experience a shock, and the rise is certain.For the people of Tokyo, this is probably not something they are willing to accept, and it is also the reason why some people raised doubts on the spot.

However, there are still some knowledgeable people who immediately said: "The grain is too low, and the grain merchants naturally don't want to transport grain to Beijing for so unprofitable. If this order is promulgated, the grain price in Tokyo will rise, and the grain merchants from all over the country will definitely make a big move." Import, especially now that the imperial court has flattened Jiangsu and Zhejiang, which is a land of fish and rice, rich in rice. Once there is more food in Tokyo, the price of food will naturally drop. Moreover, the imperial court will not allow the price of food in the capital to be too high, otherwise millions of people How to do?"

Obviously, the master is among the people, and this person's explanation made everyone feel a lot more at ease.Of course, really smart people are already thinking about whether to get involved in the grain business. For example, there is a middle-aged man dressed as a merchant with a quick brain. Food, there is a lot to do.
Things that can cause interaction are the most attractive. Obviously, the storyteller surnamed Zhou is familiar with this.Seeing everyone's reaction, there was a smile on the corner of his mouth, and he concluded: "If the imperial court makes such an order, I'm afraid that the people in the capital will rush to buy grain reserves, and the price of grain will rise. If there are guest officials who do grain business, they must seize the profit. Opportunity!"

After a pause, the man said again: "There are other rumors that the imperial court plans to recover all kinds of old money and miscellaneous money except Qianyou Tongbao within one year, and formulate an exchange ratio. After one year, all old money , Miscellaneous money will become waste money and can no longer be used in the market.”

In the past, the imperial court also gradually replaced old and new coins, which achieved considerable results in the Central Plains and the north. This time, it was mainly for the newly settled south, and it was enforced.

This news also caused repercussions, and one person immediately said: "If this is the case, the old money in your hand must be exchanged for new money as soon as possible!"

"I don't know what kind of exchange method it is,"

"You should worry about people from Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Lingnan!" There are also smart people.

"That's right, from my point of view, it is the southerners who need to exchange the most. The miscellaneous money, iron money, and lead money they use are not easy to use in our Central Plains."

"There is another rumor. Customer officials who do business should pay attention. It is said that many officials have suggested to the emperor to continue to increase business taxes."

After saying this, there was another heated discussion. For a while, this Taihe Teahouse seemed to become a political forum, breaking news and discussing various current political hotspots.

(End of this chapter)